All posts tagged Oscars

It seems like the biggest stories of this year’s Oscars have been those films and people not nominated, rather than those who were. Much has been made of the fact that not a single nominee in the Best Director or either Screenplay categories are either female or African-American, despite the presence of presumed contenders Ava DuVernay, who directed Selma or Gillian Flynn, who adapted her own novel Gone Girl from page to screen. Add to this the fact that the Academy also nominated 20 white actors in its acting categories, one almost gets the feeling if it could nominate 10 old men for the Best Actress categories it would, if only the rules would allow it.

Boyhood.

Moving on from these and other snubs, though (LEGO Movie, anyone?!), the race for Best Picture seems to have come down to two very different films: Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, which has the backing of most critics, and Alejandro Gonzalez-Iñárritu’s Birdman, which seems to have the majority of industry support. The criticism has been leveled at both that they are merely gimmicks, in Boyhood‘s case that it was filmed over 12 years and in Birdman‘s that it is made to look like one single continuous take from beginning to end. But both are brilliant, unique films that completely deserve their nominations. So which is going to take home the big prize?

Birdman.

Right now, the smart money is on Birdman. It is this year’s most-nominated film (tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel with 9 apiece) and all the recent momentum seems to have swung its way. It also seems likely to take home awards for Director, Original Screenplay and Cinematography. Of course Boyhood is certainly in with a shout and if it manages an upset in Picture it will almost certainly take Best Director too, but at the moment it looks like a solitary win for Patricia Arquette’s magnificent performance in Best Supporting Actress for the one-time frontrunner.

Birdman is a film of the moment, edgy and fast-paced and it’s about ‘the business’, precisely the sort of back-patting ego-inflater the Academy loves (I mean, it also happens to be an excellent film which helps, at least). But one can’t help the feeling that if it isn’t Boyhood‘s name called on the night, it may just be the latest in Oscar’s long-running tradition of should-have-won films that we look back on in years to come with hands on heads. Boyhood is sure to go down in history as a great piece of American cinema from Richard Linklater, some would say his generation’s greatest American director – but is it what the Academy likes?

Eddie Redmayne as Hawking in Theory of Everything.

The only major award Birdman seems likely to lose is Best Actor, which is surprising considering Michael Keaton’s mammoth performance. But in a tight race it looks like it’s Eddie Redmayne’s to lose. Redmayne has surged late in the running with his remarkable work as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. The Academy loves a true story and a physical transformation, and Redmayne nails both with aplomb. Although Bradley Cooper scores his third consecutive nomination for his flag-waving work in American Sniper, he and fellow nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Steve Carell will all just be happy to be there.

What a pity that far and away the year’s best performance, from David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, jr. in Selma has been ignored. I wonder why. I mean, the Academy did nominate Laurence Olivier for playing Othello in blackface…but that’s none of my business.

Moore in Still Alice.

The other acting categories are all but sewn up. Julianne Moore will get her long overdue statue for her work in Still Alice, while JK Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) will complete this year’s line-up with deserved wins. In another year without Moore perhaps Reese Witherspoon (Wild) or Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night) might have challenged but both already have Oscars of their own and the Academy’s old white men- I’m so sorry, old wise men have decided its ‘time’ to honour one of the best actresses working for the last 20 years.

Ida.

There are still a few unpredictable races scattered throughout, like Best Foreign Language Film. Despite many predicting Pawel Pawlikowski’s majestic Ida, this category has seen many upsets in recent years, so don’t be surprised to hear Argentina’s Wild Tales called out and that’s what I’m predicting to win. There’s even an outside chance of Russia’s searingly powerful Leviathan taking home the award, but in the past US foreign relations have played a bigger role than they maybe should have in determining this one and so it seem unlikely we shall see a Russian winner. On the documentary front it would seem that Edward Snowden doc Citizenfour is going to be the one to beat, though keep an eye out for the wonderful Finding Vivian Maier, an in-store favourite, although it’s unlikely to be an upset this year.

Things to Keep an Eye Out For:

Neil Patrick Harris is the latest brave soul to take on the task of hosting the ceremony. Can he revitalize the world’s most popular roomful of old white millionaires?

Best Cinematography sees veteran Dick Pope finally nominated for Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner. Can either he or equally overdue legend Roger Deakins (Unbroken) claim a statuette or will we see Birdman’s Emmanuel Lubezki win for a second consecutive year (he took it home last year for Gravity)?

Just how much support will dark horses Grand Budapest Hotel and American Sniper have? Both could easily come away with 3 or 4 statues of their own. If any films are going to sneakily prove popular choices, it’s these two. Expect Sniper to challenge for both Sound categories, Editing and perhaps even Adapted Screenplay. Expect Grand Budapest to be up for it in Costume, Production Design, Hair and Make-Up, Cinematography and maybe even Original Screenplay if it’s really loved.

With no Gone Girl in Best Adapted Screenplay, it could go anywhere. Expect it to be one of the Brit biopics. Either further love for Theory of Everything (along with Best Actor and potentially Score) or a consolation for The Imitation Game.

Animated Film frontrunner The LEGO Movie was a shock omission, so will the completely wonderful Boxtrolls get it’s due or will we be learning How to Train Your Dragon?

The one nomination LEGO did get was for it’s hit theme song “Everything is Awesome”, expect song to come down to this versus Selma’s “Glory”, which might end up being the ‘sorry-we-were-racist’ prize for 2015.

And finally, will it be Inarritu and Birdman or Linklater and Boyhood that come out on top? While some are predicting a split between Best Director and Best Picture, this is rare (ignore the fact that it’s happened in both the last 2 years, it’s RARE I tell you!) and whichever man wins is likely to see his film win too.

Selma.

Fingers crossed on this end for Boyhood (or, in a perfect world, Selma – but that’s so unlikely it’s actually past the point of parody) but regardless of which film wins, either would be one of the most artistically daring projects the Academy has ever gone for, so good luck to all!

So the Academy Awards are upon us once again – that prize bestowed by the institution made up of the most powerful string-pullers in the business… Of course, box office success has nothing to do with the outcome and everyone goes home a radiant and gracious winner – especially those whose paychecks have just quadrupled. Watch for the stumbles, the cracked smiles, the false hope, the tears and, yes, the plastic surgery. Hecklers welcome. Streakers encouraged.

Below are the nominated films that are available on DVD for you to catch-up on. Pull your facial skin taut, perfect your frozen smile and watch with your fanciest frock on… And then – judge for yourselves!

Nominated for 10 awards, including Best Picture and Best Directing (Alfonso Cuaron)

Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) – Two young friends meet up with an older woman in this edgy, sexy coming of age road movie that rocketed Gael Garcia Bernal to international stardom.

Children of Men (2006) – Apocalyptic sci-fi drama starring the utterly unenigmatic Clive Owen – the miracle of pregnancy in an otherwise sterile world leads Clive to take extraordinary measures in an attempt to save the human race.

Impressive and hard to watch, Act of Killing places former torturers and exectutioners from the Indonesian anti-communist purge of the mid ’60s back in their bloody roles and watches as they eagerly reenact their crimes…

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Cutie and the Boxer follows the life and marriage of two Japanese artists living in New York since the ’60s, one seriously overshadowed by the work – and personality – of the other (guess which is which).

by Paulo Sorrentino (Consequences of Love, Il Divo, This Must Be the Place)

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The Hunt by Thomas Vinterberg (Festen) and starring the excellent Mads Mikkelsen (After the Wedding, Royal Affair) – an excellent study of the effect that doubt and distrust can have in a small tight-knit community.. a man is falsely accused by a small child of abusing her and quickly finds his whole life turned upside down as those he trusted and thought of as friends turn against him.

WATCH TONIGHT TO FIND OUT WHO THE WINNERS AND LOSERS ARE – OR JUST GET A GOOD NIGHT’S KIP INSTEAD AND CATCH IT ALL IN THE 25 PAGE SPREAD IN TOMORROW’S STANDARD/METRO… (well, there’s nothing else going on, is there?)

David Niven (1910-1983), whose birthday it would be today, gets interrupted by a streaker at the 46th Academy Awards:

” Well that, ladies and gentlemen, was almost bound to happen. It’s fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings.”

In case you missed the news, the cream of Hollywood have announced their nominations for the 2013 Academy Awards. Whilst we wait with bated breath to see what everyone will be wearing, you can divert yourselves by ruminating upon the following (click on links for the trailers, folks):

Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln has the most nominations with 12 in total, including for Daniel Day-Lewis, who seems to be the favourite for best Actor. Check out Daniel in his previous Oscar-winning roles in There Will Be Blood (2007) and My Left Foot (1989).

Despite being Mr. Hollywood, Schindler’s List has been the only film to win Best Picture that Spielberg has ever made. So far.

Amour, nominated in both the Best Picture and Best Foreign Pic categories, is directed by Michael Haneke. If you know him not, then get on it now. Recommended essential viewing to get up to speed: The Piano Teacher, Hidden, White Ribbon, Funny Games and Code Unknown. That should keep you busy until Amour comes out on DVD (18th March, so stop asking).

It’s the category that sets most of us to head-scratching as often by the time the winner is announced half the films have yet to reach our fair, Hollywood-saturated shores. None-the-less, out of a record of 71 submissions here are the ones that have made the shortlist. Of these, only 5 will be nominated…

A ROYAL AFFAIR (DENMARK):

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, who wrote the screenplay for the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Period drama based on a true story of Enlightenment woe. IN STOCK NOW TO RENT OR BUY

Based on the true story of a French quadriplegic aristocrat and his ALGERIAN carer… Indescribably popular French ‘feel good’ comedy, despite being bad, obnoxious and offensive. Even the poster is annoying.

We have recently added to our collection the 1983 bio-pic, Silkwood, starring this year’s Oscar winner, Meryl Streep. Although she didn’t win an Oscar for this role, she was nominated for her portrayal of would-be whistleblower, Karen Silkwood who, whilst working at a plutonium processing plant uncovered serious breaches in worker health and safety laws leading her to being purposefully contaminated, tortured and possibly even murdered in order to prevent her from speaking out.

One of this week’s must see films, this much-anticipated Australian crime-thriller is based on the true story of Australia’s most notorious murders. A teenage boy is introduced to his mother’s new boyfriend and the two form a friendship which leads to a spree of violence and death. Hailed by critics around the globe as a hard-hitting and brilliant piece of work – reserve your copy now. Cert. 18

Steven Spielberg AND Peter Jackson? So, presumably it’s going to be a dainty affair. Our well-coiffed hero has hit the big screens, but does anyone else feel cheated that this was made as an animated feature? The original cartoons were so good and the books are COMICS, so it would’ve been nice if they could have just done something different. It would be great to actually see Andy Serkis play Captain Haddock. However, Spielberg felt that a live-action film would’ve required actors in prosthetics and masses of make-up, making the over-all project “super stylised”, which was not the sort of film he wanted to make. Personally, I would love to see a massively camped-up Tintin project. Maybe a musical. Didn’t Herge write Tintin at the Cabaret? Haddock finds a washed-up Tintin in drag, waitressing at the Moulin Rouge, a drunk Snowy on a uni-cycle… Perhaps that’ll be the sequel. Anyway, this one looks fun enough. Featuring the voices of Jamie Bell (Dear Wendy), Andy Serkis (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll), Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Daniel Craig (The Mother) and Toby Jones (Infamous). Cert. PG

A festival favourite, and one of the most highly acclaimed British films of the year, Weekend follows the story of Glen and Russell who have met in a club and fallen in love. However, their romance is threatened after just two days by the announcement that one of them is leaving the country for two years. Love, heartache, issues of identity and how to find your place in the world… Directed by Andrew Haigh (Greek Pete) and introducing Tom Cullen and Chris New. Cert. 18

A sports drama, nominated for 6 Oscars, Moneyball (named after the Oscar’s after-party?) is based on the true story of the manager of baseball team the Oakland A’s as he tries to put together a decent team on a tiny budget: “There are rich teams and there are poor teams. Then there’s 50 feet of crap, then there’s us.” Oscar-worthy screenplay? Apparently not. Anyway, the manager, played by Brad (Seven) Pitt learns to think outside the box and assemble a dream-team by using the wonders of the latest in computer technology: pie-charts and graphs. Also starring Jonah Hill (Cyrus), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Jack Goes Boating,) and Robin Wright (State of Play). Directed by Bennet Miller (Capote). Cert. 12

Somewhat incredibly, this is actually based on the true story of Sam Childers, who started out as an armed guard for drug dealers. He married a stripper who had found Jesus, and then he found Jesus. Arriving in southern Sudan with his construction business, Sam had a message from God: Thou Shalt Build an Orphanage. So he did. This is the real Sam, messenger of God:

Wealthy couple Nicholas Cage (Adaptation) and Nicole Kidman (The Hours), are taken hostage by a group of bossy goons who want all their money. A crime thriller directed by Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys). Cert. 15

Believing that an apocalyptic storm is coming, a husband and father (Michael Shannon – Boardwalk Empire, Carnivale) becomes obsessed with building a tornado shelter to protect his family. However, with a mother who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in her 30s, he – and those around him – begin to question his judgement and sanity. Michael Shannon is excellent at playing these apocalyptic/religious visionaries, full of outer determination and inner struggle with a hint of something dark and disturbing lurking beneath the surface of a stoney exterior. Cert. 15

A thriller set against the backdrop of the second world war in a small Welsh village. The country is under German occupation. One morning the women awake to find all the men have gone missing… Starring Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon) and Andrea Riseborough (W.E.). Cert. 15

American indy horror-thriller about a woman trying to start a new life after escaping the clutches of her troubled ex-boyfriend… who of course is out to track her down. Hopefully a better film than the title suggests. Cert.18